American Schools of Professional Psychology
Chicago Campus
C7435-BLA – Humanistic and Existential Theories of Counseling
Spring 2008 – Course Syllabus
# of Course Units: 3 Credits
CRN #: 8129
Days & Times of Classes: 1st Weekend 2nd Weekend
Fri. March 28th from 6-9pm Fri. April 11th from 6-9pm
Sat. March 29th from 9am-5pm Sat. April 12th from 9am-5pm
Sun. March 30th 0rom 9am-4pm Sun. April 13th from 9am-4pm
Please note: This class is web-augmented in a weekly format
Classroom Locations: TBA
Required Texts: 1. Carl Rogers Reader (1989) Edited by H. Kirschenbaum and V. L. Henderson (R)
2. Learning and Being in Person-Centered Counseling: 2nd Ed. (2002) by T. Merry (L)
3. The Tribes of the Person-Centered Nation: An introduction to the schools of
the therapy related to the person-centered approach (2004) by P. Sanders (T)
4. Various additional readings
Professor: Kevin J. Kukoleck, Psy.D.
Office Location: Argosy University Schaumburg Campus
Office Phone: 847-969-4945
Office Fax Number: 847-969-4998
Cell Phone: 773-405-3541 (This is my cell phone which is always on. Please call between the hours of 9am and 9pm only. I do not answer the phone when I am with a client. If you get my voicemail, leave a message and I will return your call as soon as I can.)
E-Mail Address:
Office Hours: By arrangement at the Chicago Campus
Professor’s Background: I was educated at ISPP’s Chicago Campus and graduated in January of 1998 with my Doctorate in Clinical Psychology. I returned to college at the age of 27 after losing my job as a truck driver as a result of the progression of my disability. I am proud to be the youngest child of a hard working, blue-collar family from Cleveland. My professional clinical experience includes working with people coping with physical disabilities and chronic pain, adults struggling with past child abuse and sexual assaults and general life adjustments. I am a non-directive Client-Centered psychotherapist. My areas of expertise include health psychology, pain management, relaxation training, anger management, school violence, bullying, sexual abuse/assault/harassment, sexual health, sexual orientation and cross-cultural counseling. I own a group private practice and student training program named The New Center.
Mission Statement: Illinois School of Professional Psychology at Argosy University/Chicago’s
Counseling Psychology Programs: The Doctor of Education in Counseling Psychology with a concentration in Counselor Education and Supervision is designed to meet the special requirements of working professionals motivated to develop their knowledge and skills to handle the changing needs of modern organizations. The program is designed to provide working professionals with the opportunity to pursue their personal and professional goals through the completion of a graduate program.
Course Educational Philosophy and Instructional Methods: The main educational philosophy for this class is to make this course material relevant to your current or future counseling work. This course will involve a blending of lecture, open class discussion, personal reflection/sharing, in-class exercises and case examples. This class will be web augmented (see below).
Course Delivery Format: This course has class meetings scheduled on weekends and is web-augmented
with a weekly online component.This online component is meant to supplement the content delivered in the face-to-face meetings and provides weekly instructional contact with the instructor of this course.Students can expect weekly reading assignments and online discussion questions that offer opportunities to interact with fellow students and course faculty, as well as opportunity to engage with faculty and other students around activities meant to deepen and enhance the learning experience. In addition, the faculty will use a web-based learning environment to provide supplemental resources and reading material. The course will be available to students one week prior to the beginning of the term.For questions pertaining to the online format, please refer to the registration bulletin.
Policies on Class Attendance, Punctuality, and Leaving Class Early: Whether we are engaged in class discussion, case examples or lecture, your attendance at each class session is vital for your learning. Further you should be on time for each class session. Staying for the entire class session is also important. Despite the obvious fact that it is very rude for you to enter class late or leave class early, it also can distract and/or disrupt the class process or the professor’s lecture. While I do not formally take attendance, in actuality your grade will heavily depend on you being present and paying attention. Obviously you will be responsible for class readings and lecture and handout material. If you are not in class for any reason, you will need to inform me of your absence and get notes for that class session from a fellow student.
Classroom Decorum: Your respectful attention during lectures, presentations and discussions is a vital part of your learning experience in this class. Questions during lectures are strongly encouraged. This course will rely heavily on class discussion, role plays and your open processing of the material. You will be expected to share your thoughts and beliefs about the issues presented in an open and honest way. I expect each of you to support one another during these class discussions. We will create an environment in this class that is consistent with this goal in that no question or comment will be laughed at, belittled or brushed aside. Another issue around classroom decorum involves the use of cell phones. Cell phones or other devices which make disruptive noises must be put on vibrate or turned off completely during class time.
Course Description: This course explores in-depth the humanistic psychotherapies. The origins and histories of the existential, Gestalt, and person-centered therapies are examined. Particular emphasis is given to the philosophical and phenomenological assumptions underlying these approaches. Key figures of each of these schools of therapy will be highlighted. Whenever possible, primary sources will be used.
Course Goals:
1. Students will demonstrate competency in their understanding of humanistic and existential scientific foundations, theories and research.
2. Students will demonstrate competency in their ability to research questions relevant to the topic and critically evaluate the current body of knowledge in humanistic and existential thought that serve as a foundation for practice.
3. Students will demonstrate fundamental competencies in establishing and maintaining effective and ethical collegial and client relationship in professional settings, including the classroom.
4. Students will demonstrate basic competency in practice with clients from diverse backgrounds by appreciating human diversity and integrating that appreciation into the selection, application and interpretation of their client’s needs.
Assessment of Course Goals:
1. An assessment of the student’s theoretical understanding will occur via a written and oral case conceptualization using two of the theories outlined during class lecture and reading.
2. An assessment of the student’s ability to research questions will also occur via the written and oral case conceptualization.
3. A direct assessment of the student’s ability to establish and maintain effective and ethical professional relationships will occur during class discussions, in-class role-play exercises and practice empathic responding exercises.
4. Course goal number 4 above will be assessed during class discussions and via the practice empathic responding exercises.
Technology Statement: Argosy University encourages the use of technology throughout the curriculum. Since this is a blended course, the internet will be used to augment your learning. During in-class sessions, the professor may use PowerPoint to organize lecture notes.
Methods for Assessing and Evaluating Student Performance:
Active Class and Internet Participation: Students are required to participate in online and in-person discussions having read the assigned material. Students are required to contribute to these discussions each class session and each week online. This assignment will be worth 45 points. Fifteen (15) of these points will be given for general in-class participation. An additional 15 points will be for providing accurate feedback and constructive criticism to your fellow students during their Demonstrations and Oral Case Presentations. Another 15 points will be for online interactions. As you can see, this can significantly effect your letter grade, so just contribute to the discussion, give your opinion, feedback, critique, appreciation or comment about the discussion material. Points will be deducted for disruptive behavior, non-constructive feedback or condescending remarks.
In Class Empathic Responding Demonstration: This assignment evaluates a student’s ability to communicate verbally and integrate their intellectual knowledge into practice. Each student is required to be a practice client (worth 5 points) and a practice therapist who demonstrates their empathic responding skills in front of their classmates and the professor (worth 25 points). The student will be graded on their ability to integrate book and lecture material into their demonstrations. The student’s ability to clearly articulate their ideas in an organized manner will be part of the grade for this assignment. Each student must critique their own work (worth 15 points) and receive constructive criticism from their fellow students in the class. The professor will also critique the student’s work as well as grade it. This assignment is worth a total of 45 points.
Written Case Conceptualization: During the first in-class weekend, students will receive a case to analyze using one of the specific theories described during this course of study. Students will review the current literature and find and read at least FIVE primary, peer-reviewed sources which will then be integrated into their case conceptualization paper. These articles MUST BE current and published within the last 5 years. Students will be given an outline from which to follow for this paper during the first in-class weekend. This paper must be written in proper APA format. This paper will be graded on its organization, clarity, and thoroughness and its proper use of language and grammar and use of proper APA format. This assignment is worth 35 points.
Oral Case Presentation: During the first in-class weekend, students will receive a second case to analyze using a different specific theory than the one used for the written case conceptualization. Students will review the current literature and find and read at least FIVE primary, peer-reviewed sources which will then be integrated into their 15 minute oral case presentation. These articles MUST BE current and published within the last 5 years. Students will be given an outline from which to follow for this presentation during the first in-class weekend. This presentation will be graded on its organization, clarity, and thoroughness and its integration of cited material. This assignment is worth 35 points.
Practice Empathic Responding Session Tapes and Transcripts: Outside of the in-class experience, students will complete 2 additional practice empathic responding session tapes with accompanying transcripts. These sessions should be session number 2 or later. The tapes will be a transcription of a 15 minute practice session with a practice client and will be worth 40 points. Do not role play. These practice sessions should deal with real issues your practice clients are willing to discuss. All tapes and transcripts MUST BE accompanied by a signed permission slip. If no SIGNED permission slip is included, the student will receive a zero for the course. Students are to have a minimum of 2 practice clients for this assignment.
Practice Empathic Responding Grading system:
1) Each time you intentionally or unintentionally direct or lead the client in any way, your grade will be reduced by ½ point. You are NOT the leader, your client is. Client-Centered therapy is non-directive.
2) If you act as the expert in any way, as in giving advice, assigning homework, asking leading questions, including but not limited to demographic information, names of people, dates, etc., or any other example of acting as if you are an expert, your grade will be reduced by ¼ point for each occurrence. Questions for empathic clarification are permissible. You are not the expert in your client’s life, s/he is. Client-Centered therapy strives to be egalitarian.
3) If you make judgments, your grade will be reduced by ¼ point for each occurrence. Judgments can be positive as in Carl Rogers judgment of Gloria as a nice daughter or negative as in calling your client names. A Client-Centered therapist is as non-judgmental of their clients as possible. Judgments impose conditions of worth onto the client.
4) If you make interpretations, your grade will be reduced by ¼ point for each occurrence. You accept what the client says at face value, for the most part. Client-Centered therapy is non-interpretive of the client.
5) If you make comments from your frame of reference, your grade will be reduced by ¼ point for each occurrence. Don’t offer your opinions (unless asked for by your client) and don’t talk about your wishes, feelings, thoughts or personal life. The time you spend with your client is all about the client and their view of the world and their experiences. Client-Centered therapy is just that, centered on the client, not the therapist.
6) If you sit silently for most or the entire demonstration or taped portion of the practice session, you may receive a C or less for that assignment. Your job is to be communicating your empathic understanding to your client. You cannot do this if you remain quiet.
HINT: Remember that your job in these practice sessions is to learn how to make empathic responses. This is not a simple task, but actually quite a challenging one. To succeed with these assignments, you first need to listen and hear what the client is telling you as if you were in his/her shoes. You must then communicate this empathic understanding to them. Check with your practice client to see if what you heard is what they meant or said. You will be surprised how often you miss very important information.
Grading System:
Class/Online Participation 45 Points
In Class Demonstration 45 Points
Written Case Conceptualization 35 Points
Oral Case Presentation 35 Points
Empathic Responding Tapes and Transcripts 40 Points
Total: 200 Points
A 100 – 93% or 200 – 186 Points
A- 92.9 – 90% or 185.9 – 180 Points
B+ 89.9 – 86% or 179.9 – 172 Points
B 85.9 – 83% or 171.9 – 166 Points
B- 82.9 – 80% or 165.9 – 160 Points
C or Below Below 80% or Below 160 Points
Library
All resources in Argosy University’s online collection are available though the internet. The campus librarian will provide students with links, user IDs, and passwords.